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Plates Free at 100%, $23 at 50-99%, and $11 to Renew a POW or Purple Heart Plate

KRS 186.162 issues the plate FREE — no initial fee and no renewal fee — to a veteran who received VA assistance to buy the vehicle, to a veteran declared 100% service-connected, and to Medal of Honor recipients. A veteran rated 50 to 99% pays $23 for the disabled veteran plate. POW, Purple Heart and Pearl Harbor plates renew at a reduced $11.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

KRS 186.162 issues the plate FREE — no initial fee and no renewal fee — to a veteran who received VA assistance to buy the vehicle, to a veteran declared 100% service-connected, and to Medal of Honor recipients. A veteran rated 50 to 99% pays $23 for the disabled veteran plate. POW, Purple Heart and Pearl Harbor plates renew at a reduced $11.

What it's worth: Free at 100% or with VA vehicle assistance; $23 at 50-99%; $11 renewal for POW, Purple Heart and Pearl Harbor plates

  • FREE — $0 initial and $0 renewal — for: a veteran who received VA assistance to PURCHASE the vehicle; a veteran declared 100% service-connected; and Medal of Honor recipients, under KRS 186.162(2)(a).
  • The VA-vehicle-assistance route does NOT depend on the rating. A veteran below 100% who received the grant gets the free plate.
  • A veteran rated 50 to 99% service-connected pays $23 for the disabled veteran plate.
  • POW, Purple Heart and Pearl Harbor plates carry a reduced $11 renewal.
  • Service Cross plates are verified through the state veterans department.
  • Plates are obtained through the county clerk under the Transportation Cabinet.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • You are on one of the routes to these plates.
  • Your rating is 50% or higher.
  • The VA helped you buy the vehicle.
  • You register a vehicle in Kentucky.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Apply at your county clerk's office.
  2. 2If the VA helped you BUY the vehicle, say so — that route gives the free plate whatever your rating, and it is the one most often missed.
  3. 3At 100% service-connected, the plate is free initially and on renewal. Do not pay the $23.
  4. 4At 50 to 99%, the disabled veteran plate is $23.
  5. 5For a POW, Purple Heart or Pearl Harbor plate, ask about the $11 reduced renewal.
  6. 6Service Cross plates go through the state veterans department for verification first.
Form
Applied at the county clerk
File with
Your county clerk, for the Transportation Cabinet
Documents you will need
va benefit summary letter
Annual
Claimed once a year.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.